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HUMAN EXPERIENCE. 

THREE LECTURES 

Fortune Tellers, 
Tpanee JVIediams, 
JVTadams, Pfinecs, 
Gypsies, and Indians. 




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DR. THOMAS TELFER. 

MISSIONARY EVANGELIST, 

COPYRIGHT 1894. 

Author of Crime and Criminals, Penitentiaries, Cruelty 

To Children and Animals. 



PRICE, 25 CENTS. 



Cincinnati, Ohio. 
PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR. 



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IDTRDDaGTIOD. 

in 1890 I was pastor of a Gospel Mission 
at Louisville, Ky, For years I have labored as 
an independent missionary; and have made a 
study of man in every condition of life, having 
labored in missions, jails, work-houses, peni- 
tentiariesj and aone highway and byway mis- 
sion work of all kinds— preaching and lecturing 
on crimej lusts, ignorancej etc, in many of 
the evangelical churches, Sunday-schools, 
and colleges in several Southern and Western 
States— knowing that sin is the only curse and 
cause of all suffering to the human famiiyj the 
missionary work is to educate the masses, to 
show what sin is and its evils, endeavoring to 
help all parents to do their own home mission- 
ary work, If you do not do it, it will go unaone, 
THOMAS TELLER, Author, 



THE FORTUNE-TELLER. 



The wicked laid a snare for me. — Ps no. 

But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant. — I. Cor. 14. 

On the wicked he will rain snares. — Ps. 11, 6. 

We, then, that are strong, ought to bear the infirmities of the 
-weak. — Rom. 15, 1. 

Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunken, nor revilers, nor extor- 
tioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God. — I. Cor. 6. 

Do not suffer a witch to live. — Ex. 22, 18. 

A fortune-teller is one claiming to reveal the past, pres- 
ent and future life of any man, woman or child, claiming a 
concealed power to discern things not present to the senses. 
Also to uncover and discover secrets, crimes and thieves, 
and bring to justice. The fortune-teller has lived in every 
age, known by one name or another, and operating by one 
method or another. 

The Holy Bible and general history has much to say 
about fortune-tellers. They are called clairvoyants, astrolo- 
gers, prophets, star-gazers, magicians, witches, sorcerers, 
dreamers, trance-seers, sooth-sayers, enchanters, conjurers, 
spiritualists, test-mediums, princes and princesses, madams, 
etc., of the transcendental, vague, illusive, delusive and hal- 
lusive arts. They are also talked about and known by other 
names, such as doves, hornets, demons, foxes, adders, scor- 
pions, raven, turkey, dice, queen, butterflies or caterpillers, 
crocodiles, trubell, cradle, marriage, love, divorce, wizard, 
hoodoo, voodoo, doodoo coctors, and many other names too 
numerous to mention. They represent every nationality 



4 

and are from every part of the globe. Likewise their vic- 
tims. Often newspapers contain advertisements of the just 
arrived in the city, prince, princess, or madam. 

THE WORLD'S RENOWNED 

MME. CUDDLE. 



A trance wonder, double gifted, three 
veils on the face when born. The 
ninth daughter. The last one of 
twenty children by her father. Her 
mother was his fourth wife — also a 
prophetess. Her father represented 
English and Swede. Her mother,. 
German and French, and she was 
born on the water at 7 o'clock, Thanks- 
giving night. Can and does tell you 
everything you want to know about 
love, money, business, marriage, di- 
vorce. Gives luck, happiness, and 
brings speedy relief to all in trouble.. 
Removes evil influences, and can give 
good luck to the broken-hearted. Can 
satisfy the professions with astonish- 
ing medium revelations. Full satis- 
faction at every sitting. Come and 
see the gifted, supernatural seer. Leave 
off silly skepticism. Come and be 
benefitted by this mysterious power. 
Your lucky day will come. At home 
day and night. Sundays, 6 a. m. to< 
10 p. m. 100 Market Strert. 
mme. cuddle. 
Remember, she divulges your mystic 
enemies, etc. 



5 

The madam's hand-bills, large and small, are often cir- 
culated judiciously.. An} 7 one expressing a desire can have 
one to take home. They read about as follows, in large, 
beautiful type. 

The Renowned Fledium 

OF THE OLD WORLD. 

MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE RICH; 
Why don't You look for a Fortune. 

$20,000 for an Kqtial. 

The greatest living Trancer. Tested by the Noble Pro- 
fessions, 20 years the Prophetess for Hamburg, Germany; 
LaCelle and Paris, France; London, England; Constantino- 
ple, Turkey and the great centers of the United States. Can 
tell you all yon want to know. She has a large lucky buck- 
eye which she places in the mouth on the tongue, that re- 
moves the power of slander from all those having that weak- 
ness, and gives good luck to all. 

She is the Seventh Wonder of the World. 

All witches and superstitions must go before her power. 
She removes the veil and gives you the key to Fortune, Love 
and Life. 

The Medium is able to diagnose }'Our case fully, inter- 
prets dreams, etc. The madam causes a powerful influence 
for good to permeate lodging-houses, homes, hotels, busi- 
ness and market places. Can point to the day and hour of 
marriage. Warns you of approaching dangers. Positively 
no imposition. The dead revealed in a dead trance. She 
exercises the utmost honesty. M}^ business is strictly con- 
fidential. Unlucky people, remember me. Fortune knocks 
once; let it smile upon you. The beautiful story of the 
future revealed may sweeten your life. The madam yester- 
<day removed trouble from a man that had married his wife's 



6 

own niece. Call and let truth convince you. 

Private Sittings. If you are a non-resident, send two 
dollars and a stamp, a lock of your hair, age and color of 
eyes, and have your fortune sent to you. 

OPEN DAY AND NIGHT. OPEN SUNDAYS. 
Mme. Countess De Ton MOBGAN, 

No. i BAR HARBOR PLACE. 

Fees, Fifty Cents, One, Two and Five Dollars. 

Special rates for a train of difficulties. 
Madam has two assistants in attendance. Madam Vivanii 
Belcher and Mme. Queen Wrinckless. Come early and avoid 
the rush. 



For many years I was the son of a widow. When quite 
a small boy, thirty years ago, I heard much talk about for- 
tune-tellers, spiritualists, rap-mediums, witches, prophets,, 
ghosts, etc. As a boy I asked many questions about all 
these mysteries. I could not understand how or why 
people gave the mediums so much credit. In the last cen- 
tury and the early part of this, witches and fortune-tellers 
were often driven out, persecuted and stoned at the hands of 
a mob, and for any woman to be branded as a witch or 
demon fifty years ago, was as good as taking her life. To- 
day, everywhere you go in the civilized world, you can see 
plain and decorated signs hanging in front or nailed to the 
house, "Madam Cuddle, Fortune-teller;" "Mme. Countess 
De Von Morgan, Astrologer;" "Mme Vivanii Belcher, 
Medium Clairvoyant ;" "Prophetess, Oueen Wrinckless, In- 
terpreter of Dreams and Fortune-teller;" "Prof. Clarence 
Major, Spiritualistic Medium, Dream Interpreter, Dancing 
Master and Fortune-Teller." 

A great number of people carefully look for these signs* 
and when they find one, some just fairly revel in their imag- . 
ination and thought, and wonder what this madam could or 



7 
would reveal to them. Some hurry by, others stand and 
gaze with great deliberation, others act delirious and look de- 
lusive, etc. Few men visit them, unless persuaded by their 
wives or other foolish women to call and see what the madam 
knows about their business. A man to be influenced and 
deluded by silly women is a poor excuse for a man. They 
ought always be the stronger of the two, and throw body and 
soul square against error, the unreal or false show, and let 
no woman, giddy girl or any other creature delude them. It 
is almost impossible for some people to pass a fortune-tell- 
er's sign without ascertaining the medium's price. If they 
have money they submit at once, or promise faithfully to call 
again. So great and defiant was the madam, to their minds, 
they seldom fail to call again. Such women are very im- 
portant. The mediums have many ways of telling fortunes. 
One way is to look at coffee grounds in a cup or saucer. Tea 
leaves are often used. Some will use sand as they do coffee- 
grounds. Some will throw a handful of hot or cold sand on 
a table-spread or sheet of paper and look into it and see and 
read your fortune. You must always accept what she says, 
for she sees it. Luck may be against 3 r ou. That is your 
fortune. The most satisfactory way is to take a deck of 
cards, stack and run them, the queen's represent ladies, light 
or dark, etc. If the subject is not satisfied, the madam will 
run the cards again and sgain. Each time she and the cards 
may vary a little until the subject is fully satisfied or accepts 
conditions. Star-gazing methods are the same. Just look 
aud say what you want. The madams, at times, will look 
out of their wine-drunk eyes boldly, with their great, gout}* 
faces, and talk to you until you gladly leave your fee behind 
and promise to call again. Say nothing about money. You 
are always worsted by 3^our associations with her demon- 
ship. 

Come out from among them, for if the trumpet give an 
uncertain sound who shall prepare himself for the battle ? 
Let me describe some of the mediums — fortune-tellers — as I 
know and have seen them from time to time for years, hav- 



8 

ing interviewed and investigated their power to see myster- 
ies and tell fortunes. 

Madam No. i is a large woman, weighing more than 200, 
almost sixty years old. She had a fixed, cold eye, hair dark 
gray, no shape to her body, hands and feet in proportion. 
Dressed in black silk, with very large, plain, solid gold ear- 
rings, as large as a small watch, hitting the sides of her face 
each time she turned hep head. A large breast-pin to match. 
She would sit in the largest chair in the house, or on a 
bench, all the time, and had two servants to attend the door 
and wait upon her. She lived in palatial style on the best in 
the land, and don't you forget that. The madam would sit 
in that big chair and lock all inquirers full in the face with 
her cold, fixed black eyes, and ask them what they wanted. 
She would hear every word they had to say, and study and 
study the inquirer closely all the while. She would then 
give her another chance to tell more about her own past, 
present and future. All this time the madam made a most 
interesting listener. Finally she stopped. In a short time 
the madam had her started again, and before she was through 
the madam had the names of more than half of her entire 
family, living and dead, her husband's business and all of her 
domestic affairs, etc., etc. 

The madam, not ready for business, demanded her fee, 
two dollars in advance. This madam's method was to boldly 
ask forty questions, and they were invariably answered, after 
which the madam told her all she wanted to know. I mean 
the woman had told her own fortune. The madam had only 
entertained her — she had entertainad the madam. There 
was no fortune about it. The madam got the money. The 
woman was satisfied, and went back to her poor husband 
after spending his hard-earned money. Poor man, he is 
dead now, and she is too. That night she told all the neigh- 
bors over the back fence that she had such a nice fortune 
told today. What did she tell, you asked one lady. Noth- 
ing much, except the names of several of my family, living 
and dead. " Did she do that? " inquired the lady. She did. 



9 
as sure as I am standing here. My James and Anna and 
Fannie that are in their graves. She told me my husband's, 
son's and daughter's first names, and when I asked her to 
tell me mine, she said ' I have called six in your family, liv- 
ing and dead, by name,' and she thought that was doing 
well. I thought so, too. I am going to see her soon 
again and have my fortune told. No man or woman can 
say this is false. It is true, and you know it, nine times out 
of ten. 

Lift up your heads in the sanctuary and bless the Lord.— Ps. 134. 
O, Lord, Thou hast searched me and know me. They mark ray 
steps when they wait for my soul. — Ps. 56. 

Madame No. 2 was a small featured little lady, dark 
complection, with small, black eyes deep set in her head. 
Her body and face was very thin. That made her nose 
look prominent and larger. She was a nervous little lady, 
and had perhaps been suffering for years with nerve and 
stomach troubles, because her position w 7 as a trying one — 
the constant fear of not being able to satisfy. 

A dollar was her price. Kept her in constant fear and 
made her disease chronic. God and nature never intended 
her for that business. She could never systematize it down 
to a trade, and yet she had been at it twenty-five years. Her 
methods were absorbent, quiet, gentle, kind, but very firm 
in the matter of the dollar. The poor, foolish women that 
went to her seldom begrudged her the dollar of late, because 
she looked so bad. The people that run around getting 
their fortunes told are partially insane, and this woman 
knew that. (Took their dollar just the same, and gave them 
a kind, gentle, quiet talk, with a come-back-again — luck 
changes.) 

Madame No. 3 was tall and slender, with round should- 
ers. Her body resembled in shape the letter S. She had 
sallow skin and cold, gray eyes, and a face that was defiant. 
Her general appearance told me she was in the business for 
the money there was in it, and if she failed to satisfy, they 
need not go elsewhere. She had shifting methods, and used 



the cup, cards, hot sand, stars, and could see a fortune just 

as well looking in a man's hat! She would allow no man to 

cut the cards more than three times. She was everything 

and anything to suit the times — in prices as well. She was 

always a success in getting her inquirers off her hands, with 

a chance for come again. When this lady got thoroughly 

in earnest, she would stand up and make one think of a mild 

witch in the fore part of this century. I mean she appeared 

as half crazy, and was ready for any method of procedure. 

My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed. I will sing and give 
praise. — Ps. 57. 

Two men, years ago, when John C. Heenan — I believe 
an English prize-fighter — was in this country, and was to 
fight with another prize man, I forget who, went to a for- 
tune-teller and paid her twenty dollars to name the man that 
would win that fight. The madam took the money and 
made a guess, that is, mentioned the name of one of the men, 
I forget which. Those two men bet all their money on him, 
several hundred dollars. The other man won the fight and 
left the two young men without a cent after the fight. They 
made their way back to the madam and took her by the 
neck and punched her about the head and body till almost 
dead. Time passed and she never told the world one w r ord 
about any of it. She got well enough to be about* again. 
The two men were afraid she would die from the effects, 
and never told the world for- years after. I am told that 
blackmailers and, women trying to marry rich men run to 
the mediums once a day for a month sometimes. 

Madame No. 4 was sixty-three years old, had a large 
frame but was thin in flesh and sick. She had two widowed 
daughters and their children living with her. She had 
always supported them. There was nothing about this 
woman to attract attention, except the way she would 
light up when she would see a dollar. For forty years this 
medium had sent her scores of thousands from her with 
heavy hearts, to disappointed, blasted, wrecked lives. As a 
girl, this woman [had been reasonably intelligent, without 



II 

much of a chance as a fortune-teller. For the past thirty 
years she had been very narrow. Had got in an old rut that 
she never got out of. If her patrons had not been so blind 
and had not such a weakness for the craft, they would have 
gladly- stayed away from mediums. They had given her tens 
of thousands in her years of fraud. Some were not right in 
their minds before they went to see her, and in the years 
many became totally insane. Continued disappointment 
and disease. The madam is dead. Those left continued 
the craft. She never believed in God, man or the devil, 
heaven or hell. She lived to vulture on diseased bodies and 
minds. 

Madame No. 5 is an open-faced woman about forty 
years old. She had a husband and five children to support 
by her craft. Her husband had been educated for the law. 
but was a failure at that, and forced and schooled his wife in 
this profession. This gentleman put veils on his wife and 
three of her grandmothers. They both made a stud)- for a 
short time, of cards, -coffee, sand, old hats and shoes, palmis- 
try, star-gazing, trances and dream interpreter, etc., etc. He 
conferred the degree Mme., etc., on his wife, and they 
moved to another city. They put out the usual sign and 
began to advertise and soon had many inquirers. Her hus- 
band and children were a great help to her in and out of the 
house. It was a family arrangement. They had but one 
desire, and that to make money. The little lad}" was full 
veiled, and gave all inquirers a choice — coffee, sand, cards, 
star or trance. They paid their money and took their 
choice. Not satisfied fully, perhaps you had better try cards 
or a dead trance, or bring your friends some night when the 
stars are shining. I can see 3-011 will have better luck next 
time. Do you believe me, it worked like a charm. 

Princess Cullender, astrologist, was dark complected, 
about the average size, not enjoying the best of health, al- 
ways looked dirty and slovenly. However she was dressed, 
she always seemed to be greasy-, and whenever she shook 
hands there was drops of grease and sweat hanging to the 



12 

ends of her fingers. That lowered her, even in the estima- 
tion of some of her admirers. If she had taken a bar of 
soap and water and washed herself thoroughly, she would 
not have made such a slimy, clammy impression on stran- 
gers. I said, " I would like you to reform. You'll do that 
for me, won't you? " 

Trance. — Many of the veiled prophets and princesses 
practicing fortune-telling arts advertise as trance mediums 
and clairvoj^ants. To be in a trance is a state of insensibil- 
ity, a want of emotion or affection — or catalepsy, as it were 
— a sudden suppression of sensation or ecstasy, excessive 
joy, rapture, enthusiasm, etc., or tranquility, as it were, 
quietness, a calm state. You will readily understand how a 
trance-medium can sit in her chair, lie on her sofa or bed in 
the presence of her callers or in the next room, and fall, as 
the prophets of old, into a deep sleep or dead trance and sus- 
pend animation, ceasing to breathe, almost stopping the cir- 
culation and action of the heart, and let all who wish exam- 
ine her while in this rigid, dead, sleeping or smiling trance 
state. Some mediums, under certain influences, say it is 
almost impossible to get them up out of this state when the 
spirit is on. 

When in this state the madame knows what their tale of 
woe is, was and will be. She can interpret their dreams 
and unfold deep, hidden mysteries in business, love, mar- 
riage, divorce, money, true happiness, etc. She also claims 
to see the dead in the mountains, lakes, rivers and graves, 
and can bring back any father, mother, wife or loved one, 
and can bring about rich-blooded marriages, can detect and 
bring thieves to justice and have valuable jewels returned. 
All this the medium can do in a trance, and come out pre- 
tending great things and with overpowering influence on her 
weak inquirers. If at any time they discover that the 
medium is drunk or half sober, they should never question 
her power to discern objects and her lack of ability to make 
things plain to their minds. For their business is a delusive 
art, and they practice it for money, and I want every member 



of the human family to know this. Her spells and signs and 
wonders will not be tolerated in this age by church or state. 

Many of the trance-mediums do not go into a trance at 
all (we know none of them do). But I mean they do not 
pretend to perform the trance method. They advertise as 
such, and look the sitters in the face and tell them they are 
trance-mediums, and that suffices, unless there is an extra 
fee. The medium, male or female, as the case may be, will 
swoon away, and come around in a jiffy, make his exposer. 
Otherwise they do not go into a trance once a week, month 
or year, as the}' see the fate of every sitter that is to come 
during that period. Is not that an astonishing a revelation? 
No hidden mysteries too deep. Can go into all space and 
fathom. Many trance mediums are given over to the use of 
liquors, narcotics; opiates, morphine eaters, etc. They could 
hardly stay in the nefarious business year after year, seeing 
and knowing what they do, without using something to 
deaden and stupefy their sensibilities. They could not take 
the dollar from the hand they made palsied. 

Trance-mediums are of all ages, sizes and shape. Many 
of them have been a wreck for years. Tobacco and whisky 
fiends, opium-eaters ; some dirty and slovenly to the last ex- 
treme. Many are cripples — old men and women that ought 
to have been put in the poor-house years ago are still vul- 
turing on the weak-minded members of the human family. 
And great numbers of strong, middle-aged women and men 
are plying the craft for a living these hard times. Many of 
them are suffering because they will not work. They posi- 
tively take the people's mone} 7 and give them absolutely 
uothing. Worse than that, they cause many to lose their 
minds, others to take to crime and disease. All sin is on the 
house-top, and trance-mediums will have to go. They are a 
thing of the past. Their suctorial methods fail to enchant, 
charm, delight and measurably subdue. There is no beaut} 7 , 
truth, justice, mercy, love, friendship, purity or reality in 
you. You live to delude, defraud, wrong, rob and defy God, 
man, and the devil. Dealing with people that are bad at 



14 

heart and insane, and you make all worse. Go, go. 

Indians, as a class, do not practice individual fortune: 
telling. They are heathens. They have their hoodoo doc- 
tors, medical men, pale-faced prophets and star-gazers, happy 
hunting grounds. They augur — conjecture by signs or 
omens, and put great stress at times on a fl ght of birds, and 
are always very suspicious. They take several kinds of 
weeds, when they can get them, and press the juice out them 
and make a kind of whisky. This causes them to whoop-poo, 
yelp and yell, and often to go into a war-dance, that is so de- 
structive to their tranquility. The half-breeds that go 
among them often introduce fortune-telling and other forms 
of vice. I have known in my travels of two or three old 
civilized Indians that went from doer to door. They did not 
take well, except once in a while an old chronic scab would 
become delirious to know what that Old Indian would tell 
her. Some years ago two voodoo doctors had several In- 
dians in a tent the}' said told fortunes. The Indian would 
look at the sitter and talk in his own tongue. Then the 
voodoo doctor would interpret what the Indian had s&id, or 
he could tell the fortune as he desired. People supposed he 
did. The}' were not a success. All uncivilized Indians be- 
lieve in charms, witchcraftry, and are kind of lunar idiots. 
Many of them are mouth-breathers, and thousands die every 
year of that disease. 

Gypsies are a vagabond race scattered over Europe and 
America. They travel and live in wagons and tents and 
move [each day or two from town to town. The men trade 
in horses ; the women tell fortunes and practice all methods, 
clairvoyance, astrology, chiromancy, trance, cards, hot and 
cold sand or salt, pipes, tobacco, sieves, fan, glove, parasol, 
handkerchief, jewels, flowers, a handful of dirt. Also sun, 
moon and star-gazing, etc. Can tell your fortune looking 
through a gentle, mild, or heavy rain. They are also able to 
talk, sing and dance for your money. Can charm your warts 
moles and certain diseases to leave your body, it is said. The 
American gypsies are immensely rich. The lots and lands 



15 

on which they camp near large towns and cities belong to 
them. If this be true, they move on only when the)" desire 
to do so. All this valuable property and money was 
gathered by the women and young girls going from door to 
door telling fortunes. When times w T ere good a few years 
ago, each woman or girl could collect fifty or a hundred dol- 
lars in a single day sometimes, and have all the dresses and 
children's clothes they could haul, given to them by poor 
women without money that was so anxious to hear what 
that old gypsy would tell them. I have known them to give the 
dress off their backs and their children's clothing. Also 
their husband's pants. The poor monomaniacs ! That is, 
derangement with regard to one thing only, namely, fortune- 
telling. The)* ha,ve no character, mind, and are diseased, 
and, like children, need watching in this regard. Will some 
one help them read these words and tell them what you 
know to be true, and get out of their minds this desire for 
intercourse with this cunning, crafty, art mediums. Tell 
them they have been fascinated, deluded and bewitched, -as 
it were, for years, and to stay away from all fortune-tellers 
forever. Many people used to go out to the gypsy camps to 
have their fortunes told, but of late years there is only a few. 

Fortune-telling will soon be a thing of the past and 
recorded with the last arts. I pray none of you will ever 
let colors bewitch you, and remember Christ was never 
found with guile in his mouth. Many of the American 
gypsies have died in the past seven years. Among that 
number, I understand, was the American Queen and King. 
Many strangers have adopted that life, but fail to make 
genuine English gypsies. — Thos. Telfer, Ph. D. 

Colored people are like anybody in the matter of fortune- 
telling. The ignorant and superstitious believe in it, and 
are sure to call on every new medium that comes to their 
locality. They put great stress on everything she has to 
say, and if there happens to be a back-shot or a read be- 
tween the lines, they go home and talk it over with many in 
the neighborhood. Others may then visit the madam, and 



i6 

in a short ^time the madam has had quite a run of patrons, 
and all by a trick in her art. Many people go crazy on for- 
tune-telling, and would have theirs told every night if they 
could. It is a pity they do not own a medium. If they did, 
she would soon have to confess their was nothing in it, and 
that she had no power whatever over anybody or anything. 
That she was an open fraud, like all the rest, without any 
power whatsoever. The better class of educated colored 
people go to church and live good, consistent, Christian 
lives, and no witches or witchcraft about them. They are 
sober, pure, clean men and women, livirfg exemplary lives, 
in the church and out. To all such credit must be given 
and honor is due. The colored people compare favorably at 
present with any nationality in matters of general intelli- 
gence. A larger per cent, of those that can not read are 
found among the colored people, and of course, being un- 
schooled, are very superstitious. Colored fortune-tellers are 
very scarce. I never heard of but two. One was an old 
colored madam that learned the business in slavery days. 
She was no trancer — only a plain fortune-teller, and charged 
fifty ceuts a sitting. She had a few callers and was enter- 
taining. The other was an old man. He charged fifty cents, 
also, and did as well as any of them. But he said he did not 
like to take the people's money without giving an equiva- 
lent for it. That was impossible to do. He was too old to 
work, and tried to help his wife in that way. 

The colored people have always been sought after and 
made easy prey b}^ fortune-tellers, magic wonders, witch- 
craft, evil forebodet s, hoodoo, voodoo and doodoo doctors, 
miserable quacks, etc. Because of this, many of them are 
running around to-day, entertaining every shade of opinion, 
and get very little or none of this world's goods. Sober, 
clean, Christian lives, free from disease and idleness, will as- 
sure to all a quiet, peaceful and satisfactory life. 

Think of the great army of madams and their millions 
of victims when God conies to make up his jewels. What a 
passion for their tale of woe ! Have you been a victim to 



i7 

the craft ? If so, do you never despise yourself? Madam 
Funkey, who gave exhibitions of her wonderful powers be- 
fore all the crowned heads of Europe, is in the city. Her 
wonderful career and newspaper fame, on account of a pe- 
culiar law-suit once, and her how-to-find-gold are air-castles 
and busted bubbles. 

The madam is about fifty years old, fat and dark-skinned. 
A healthy looking woman, very quick about the eyes and 
very slow of speech — judge like. This woman had great 
powers to deceive, and gave her profession standing. She 
kept two women to dress and change and veil, and run in 
and out of the house, to help her get and to hurry those off 
that were there. Her house had side and front entrances. 
The madame's dog resembled a sheep. Think of her crim- 
inal, lustful, drunken, floating, rope and ax victims in thirty 
years! Look at the fruits of her life's work! The burdens, 
troubles — unfortunate people all made worse. She took 
turkey every time. When an hyena commits suicide it claws 
an artery on its leg, and sucks the blood and chews the 
stump jto death. No more cage for him. Human beings 
get tired of deception and continued disappointments, and 
like the hyena, submit to the blood-sucking methods. The 
license should be $200 per year for each madame in a county, 
the state $100 more, and the city $200 also — total $500 per 
year each. 

Palmistry or chiromancy is the art of telling fortunes by 
examining the hand — to carefully inspect the small lines in 
the palm and every part of the inside of the hand and fingers. 
To read character and predict future events by this means, 
to my mind, is impossible. Yet, nevertheless, the wise, un- 
wise, and otherwise for ages have practiced and believed in 
it. The sole of the foot as well as the palm of the hand is 
used in this art. In an ordinaty hand there are thirteen well 
defined lines, and sixteen to twenty more less prominent. 
Some hands do not have half this number; others have 
more. There is as much difference in the size, shape and 
general appearance of hands as faces. Very few look alike, 
and when there is a condition of callosity or callus, that is, 



i8 

any horny hardness of the skin, it is impossible to see any of 
the ordinary lines. Only a few of the larger show. Some- 
times the hand, because of hard work, becomes completely 
callous and all lines are obliterated. Still the prognosticator 
is always able to foreshow. That is his business^ — his art. . It 
is impossible, when such causes and conditions exist, to 
establish the art of palmistry. This art is now a thousand 
years old, and we are told that the great men of bathes, 
wealth, church, state and forum, have in all ages submitted 
themselves to this art master. Think of it, gentlemen, for 
any one to claim to tell by a few small and irregular creases 
or lines, natural or unnatural, in the palm of the hand or on 
the wrist the fortune of a human being. To look at one 
line and say you will marry rich, at another, death or sick- 
ness, at another, failure, life, health, imagination, disease, 
wreck, discouragement, or love, fortune, joy, travel, home or 
abroad, faithful, sorrow, unhappy, or great property, etc. 
For a master to look at the lines of every hand and say all 
of this, or any of this, is preposterous. Young man or 
woman, give yourself an eternal and everlasting divorce 
from palmistry and its masters. People have been deluded 
by it for a thousand years. 

As a physician, I can look at a baby or small child and 
see if there is any trace of disease of any kind about its 
head, face, and other parts of its body. Also, its heart, 
lungs, etc.. I pronounce the child healthy. If I know both 
of its parents to be healthy, I can say truthfully the child is 
free from hereditary disease. If I know the parents to be 
kind, industrious and true Christian men and women, I can 
say that God and nature have done their part by the child, 
and if it is properly trained to habits of industry and educa- 
ted, and is fortunate, and does not meet with any accident, 
or get diseased, and will apply itself to some honest busi- 
ness and live within the lines of the church, and is not given 
over to any of the ancient arts or crafts, I can prophesy and 
say the child ought to have good health, long life, money, 
property, true love (for love begets love), travel and happy 
home, etc: No palmister or fortune-teller can tell more than 



19 
this, for he knows nothing beyond mere facts in an}' case. 
Again, if a man or woman forty years old came to me to get 
their fortune told, I could look them over carefully for sin, 
disease, drunkeness and want of character, etc. To tell that 
man or woman's fortune and be true, I should say "go to a 
reputable physician and pay him to cure that long-standing 
disesse you have, and at the same time quit all kinds of sin 
and drunkeness and go to work, and you will have good 
fortnne, good health, and be clothed in your right mind. Be- 
yond this, no man can tell you about the living or dead, or 
money, or anything they know nothing about. If any of 
you feel bad or sick, or have an absent one that you know 
not whether living or dead, or money in chancery, and want 
your fortune told, come to me, or go to any preacher or 
priest or bishop. Tell them your trouble — explain every- 
thing. Tell them what you want, and I assure you they 
will understand your case fully and tell you just what to do. 
It will be the best fortune you ever had told. They will 
charge you nothing. They are true friends of yours, and 
any of them will be glad to help you see yourself as God 
sees you in your trouble. Never again run alter those crafty 
artists that take your money and seek to delude and deceive 
you. 

Every man must make his living with his hand and 
brain. An honest hand, large or small, full or free from 
warts and marks, is always exalted by God. The Holy 
Bible has much to say about a natural hand, a beautiful 
hand, a delicate hand, a horney hand, an honest, true and 
tried hand. Also speaks of peaceable, pure, gentle and help- 
ing hand, and fruits of hand, and uplifted hands to God. 
Again, the hand of strife, envy, war, malice, theft, murder, 
glory not in. 

The hand defileth the whole body. 

Tearful thing to fall into the hand of the living GocL — Heb. 10, 31, 

Working with his hands. — Eph. 4, 28. 

Also my hands, my head, my heart — John 13, 9. 

Delivered into the hands of men. — Luke 9, 34. 

Delivered out of the hands of our enemies. 

They do evil with both hands earnestly. 

Spread forth your hand. I will hide. — Isa. 1, 15. 



J20 

GWe her of the fruit of her hand — Prov. 31. 

He that hath clean hands shall be strong for right. 

If thy hand or foot offend thee, cut it off. 

The teaching of the Holy Bible and palmistry are averse. 

Lay thy hand upon thy mouth. — Prov. 33. 22. 

Let my right hand forget her cunning. — Ps. 137, 5. 

Let thy right hand be one of pleasure forever more. 

Let not your hand become one of sorrow. — Ps. 11. 

The hand of diligent maketh rich. The earth is full of hand of 
plenty. Many Ipeople are lured into believing that their own right 
laand condemns them. By his own hand he falls.- -Thorn as Telfer, 
Palmist. 

Madam Cora was a woman fifty-three years old. She 
was living with her fourth husband and had three dead. 
Early in years Madam Cora had been good looking. She 
was a brunette with bullet, black eyes, medium in size and 
rather plump t in figure. At fifty-three she was gray, very 
thin in flesh and slovenly. Her dress and general appear- 
ance indicated that she was a morphine-eater. People that 
saw her said that it was painful to see her lean over and run 
a deck of cards in her lap and always tell the inquirer just 
what she wanted to know. She could stack a deck of cards 
and get the queens and jacks where she wanted them every 
time, and when she used the coffee cup and bent over to 
look at the grounds as she held the cup at long focus and . 
away over to one side, was a picture long to be remembered. 
For thirty-three years she t had been a medium of delusive 
art. Had grown wrinkled and gray, and her body was be- 
ing consumed by poison. Ever since she was a girl twenty 
years old she had reigned supreme in the hearts of thous- 
ands r of her victims, for a time, at least. Some of Madam 
Cora's victims are old and living yet, and whenever she see s 
any of them she never fails to say "did I not tell you years 
ago that you would have much trouble, death, etc." It is 
said that Madam Cora was paid $50 and $100 several times 
by business men and Eastern ladies to confess that she and 
all of the mediums were frauds, humbugs, crafty, deceiving 
the general public. Fortune-tellers get old and stale in one 
neighborhood and go to another city — often to Europe. If 
the madams could really do one hundredth part of what they 



21 

claim, they could all be rich. Every law firm and bank and 
business-house would need one of them. The United States 
has 67,000,000 population. If only one in sixty-seven pat- 
ronized fortune-tellers, that would make one million in the 
United States. The figures are very low, as several millions 
are not able to read, and it must be remembered that all of 
the harlots and low, lewd, vicious, criminal elements found 
everywhere abet fortune-tellers. 

The witch method of fortune -telling is to go from house 
to house and plead and force themselves upon the people, 
excite their curiosity and destroy their happiness for time to 
come. Many of these are old and crippled, crooked, hunch- 
backed, deformed in mind and body. Have charity for them 
but never encourage them in their lying art. They will 
take twenty-six cents and a pipe full of tobacco, or the to- 
bacco only, and tell, or try to tell you something that will 
make you feel better or worse. For shame on you to enter- 
tain for one instant these cracked brains. Let them go to 
the county house or to work. I have the most profound re- 
gard for human flesh, but when it seeks to damn me, then 
the superiority of the one shall wipe out the insignificance 
of the other. 

Let every man's law be just. — Job. 

Did any of your readers ever remember seeing that seven 
year-old child fortune-teller, a little boy, many years ago? 
His old aunt was his trainer and manager. The child did 
as she told him. But when he came face to face with the 
sitters and had to look into the open grave and describe the 
mouldering, decaying face of the dead, his childish heart 
failed him, and her witchship was a failure. Her little 
prophet, priest and king, God grant, was a failure. 

Prince Pettibone, a gentleman thirty-four years old, with 
one eye slightly crossed and with syphilitic, stiff joints and 
a callous brain, was having considerable publicity as a 
prince medium. About that time he married a fourteen- 
year-old girl. In a short time the prince put out a sign, 
" Prince and Princess Pettibone, Trance Mediums, Clairvoy- 



22 

ants, Astrologists, Prophets and Fortune-tellers. In a few 
months, I understand, the prince began to limber up, and 
they soon went abroad to the continent of Europe. A girl 
only fourteen years old is a child, and yet, if she is well 
raised, she is almost a woman, and then think of it, she had 
a prince to back her. How hard it is to get the people of 
this world to see, know and do the right. The prince and 
his wife were both hubbubs and humorists in methods of 
work, and the mediums all are, to a degree, or they could 
not make it pay. 

Astrology is the art of predicting events by the aspect 
of the stars. A star-gazer is one who looks at the stars and 
general appearance of the sky, and foretells events in the 
life of an individual. Usually star-gazers are unskilled in 
astronomy, and do not know one star from another. They 
simply look at them and talk to the individual, as it suits 
their own desires. An astrologer or star-gazer could look at 
the leaves on a tree and see just as much of interest in the 
life of an individual as she could by looking at the stars. It 
is simply a fortune-telling craft. They are bold and full of 
courage, and with proxy. 

[Astrology is a science to enable us to judge, by the 
different aspects, the effect and influence of stars and fore- 
tell events. The term astrology was used by the ancients 
in the sense of astronomy.] 

This science was formerly in great request, as people ig- 
norantly supposed the heavenly bodies to have a ruling and 
influence over the physical and moral world, as the effect of 
lunar system on idiots. Hence they were called lunatic — a 
person whose insanity is supposed to be influenced by the 
moon. It is trying for us to tolerate this ancient and pres- 
ent craft. The mediums, when they take an inquirer out to 
gaze upon the stars, will first point out Job's coffin and the 
great dipper. Also the ark, and other things they say are 
formed by the stars in heaven. So perfect is the outline of 
these things that the influence is great on the victim. She 
Chen points to stars of magnitude and talks of love, marriage, 



23 

divorce, and remarriage, etc. She then points to a receding 
star and says that represents coming death of some distant 
relative, etc. It is not difficult to deceive people that want 
to be deceived. They entertain, then get earnest, and keep 
it up until they startle the subject. How intently fixed and 
eager they gaze at the stars ! 

A woman went one evening to get her fortune told with 
cards, and paid one dollar. Before she left the madam 
tnought she might have better luck if she would try the 
coftee-cup. She did so, and paid her dollar. The madam 
walked io the door with her ane said, " Oh, if you had only 
told me the stars were shining brighily. I am an astrologer, 
and can tell your fortune by the beautiful stars." The 
woman consented and paid one more dollar, which made 
three times she had her fortune told in one hour by card, 
coffee and stars, one dollar each, and it was all the same 
with slight changes. She was adorned with stars, coffee 
and cards. 

Do you think the madam is stark ? My dear friend, 
you are starless. There are no stars visible for your indi- 
vidual^. Let nobody make you lose your head. God 
says the stars are not pure in His sight. — Job. 25, 5. 

Awake to my judgments and ask the way to Zion and Mt. Pis- 
gah. 

Stand in awe, and sin not. — Ps. 44. 

Avoid vain babblings. — I. Tim., 6, 20. 

Let no serpent beguile thee. 

Abhor, hate and loath arrogancy, presumptuous self-conceit. — I. 
Sam. 

Let the words and work of a star-gazing astrologer avail nothing. 

Prophets. 

I will send them prophets* and apostles, and some of them they 
shall slay and persecute. — Luke, n, 49. 

If you will take your Bible and read all it has to say 
about prophets and false prophets, you will find it an inter- 
esting study. We learn about the apostles and prophets 
that went forth to establish churches and the coming of 
Christ, and prophecies in regard to rain, drouth and famine. 
The prophets (or ministers of God) went about among the 



24 

people everywhere doing good. They were greatly beloved 
by the people. At times their enemies were strong against 
them. In those days the people were very superstitions, 
and often would forget God. Many troublesome men, in- 
fluenced by bad women, would arise and make false pro- 
phecies concerning the immediate future, and say there 
would be a lack of rain, or a great drouth, or flood, or a 
failure of vine-yard crop, or no fish, or diseases and pesti- 
lence to come among the people, etc. These sayings at 
times troubled the people greatly, as now, and they would 
quit work and wait and wonder if the rain, vineyard, cattle, 
or fig or fish would be a failure. The false prophets talked 
about life and death, and full moons and bright stars, and 
give themselves over to signs and wonders day and night, as 
the fortune-tellers do to-day. The people of those times 
suffered much every way. They had their passovers and 
famines, as well as their feasts, and were greatly fatigued at 
times and sorely tried, and they put great faith in every- 
thing the false prophets said, as they do today. It took very 
little to establish a false prophet then, and less now. The 
false prophets were called sorcerers, magicians, conjurers or 
soothsayers — the foretelling of future events by a person 
without divine aid or authority. Prophets were the fore- 
runners of evil reports. The people were warned daily to> 
beware of false prophets, and to-day they prefer darkness 
rather than light, because their deeds are evil. I am not 
condemning the shape of the heads of false prophets and 
fortune-tellers, but their hearts — their sinful hearts, that 
forget God and the line of right. It is your duty to help 
people to do right and make them cease to do evil and pol- 
luting their fellow-men. The Bible says : 

The prophet shall become wind. — Jer. 5. 
Her prophecies are treacherous, for ye may all prophesy. 
There is no more any prophets. 
I will not hear that prophet. — Acts 23. 

He will smite %hem and drive them away, and they shall become 
wanderers on the face of the earth. 
Is Saul among the prophets ? 

Thomas Telfer, M. D., Ph. D., Author. 



HUMAN EXPERIENCE. 

THREE LECTURES 



1ON1 



Fortune Tellers, 
Tf&g<2<2 psdiams, 
Padams, Pfinees, 
Gypsies, and Indians. 




DR. THOMAS TELFER. 

MISSIONARY EVANGELIST, 

COPYRIGHT 1894. 

Author of Crime and Criminals, Penitentiaries, Cruelty 

To Children and Animals. 



PRICK, 25 CENTS. 

Cincinnati, Ohio. 
PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR. 



r d-io? 



; 



THREE LECTURES 

ON 

Fortune Tellers, 
Clairvoyants, 
jRsti?oloejet*s, 
Prophets, 

Trance Mediums, 

Star-gazing, 
Palmistry. 

ALL METHODS EXPOSED. 

THESE LECTURES ARE COPYRIGHTED 

And Worth $1.00. 

READ AND CIRCULATE, IT IS YOUR 

DUTY TO PROTEST THE 

DEYIL'S WORK. 



FOR THE PROMOTION OF TRUTH, 





4 O 








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